I want to help you to use your customer feedback to improve products and services.
Good PR relies on maintaining a positive reputation through good word of mouth and customer service is a key part of this. Why?
Customer service is all about providing satisfactory service to people who use and purchase your service and products, so you want them to remain happy and loyal. Angry and disgruntled customers are quick to give negative feedback and tell a lot of people, which leads to negative PR.
I believe that good PR and terrific customer service can help your business to engage with customers effectively and promote a positive brand image.
So, here are two ways to improve your PR with input from your customer service:
Share the stories of success
You have done fantastic work -something to be proud of and you need to spread a positive message about your successes!
Read the 11 page toolkit to learn about the importance of a brand.
How often do you write case studies based on wonderful customer experiences? You could be missing opportunities to tell people that you have done fantastic work. You might even want to use Facebook Groups to sell products or you want to start selling items on Instagram.
Talk about the situation and tasks performed, the process or strategy you adopted, and the results, in a relatable way. This could be a great idea and content to write a blog.
Share the case studies and testimonials on your website, newsletters, social media, and in (relevant) press releases (remember to be mindful of GDPR and privacy rules). Don’t let them sit in your email inbox or stay on pieces of paper. The best way to grow your business on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook is to share the feedback and reviews. Don’t forget to thank people for their positive words.
Do not miss an opportunity to promote why you are the best! This can lead to you building an audience of advocates and a tribe community who will share your positive customer comments to build credibility and a professional reputation.
Here’s 4 ideas to start building your brand with insights and tips to try
Share the negative
Running a business comes with complaints from customers (hopefully not too many).
Firstly express regret and apologize, then offer an explanation. Finally, think of a remedy so issues can be resolved. Once things have died down what can you do next?
Share the negative comments and learn from it! I know it sounds scary but give it some thought! Let’s not forget that social media allows customers to publicly share their discontent and unhappy experiences so get in there first to avoid bad PR comments.
Never ignore negative comments and I think you should actually share them. Well, sort of! Make sure you have a plan to address negative feedback in a timely and proactive manner.
For example – if you run an online shop and customers complain that there are issues with packaging and delivery of parcels… explain what you are doing to solve the issue.
Offer an explanation – anything that will help to build and maintain trust with your customer is important so do not miss an opportunity to be honest and upfront. In some instances, you may want to take the conversation away from social media and ask the customer to contact you directly.
Issue solved – hooray!
Question: What is your customer service policy and is it aligned with creating some great PR and learning opportunities?
Want to know more?
Louise is a media, marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience working in TV, Radio, print and online media for BBC and Commercial brands, businesses, and services.
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